Lila Thorn | December 1, 2020 | Updated on: December 12th, 2023
If you’re tired of the full-sized version, then mini baccarat games might be on the cards for you. This pint-sized game features the same rules as punto banco, but at a faster pace.
In this guide, we’ve compiled the rules, bets, payouts, house edge, strategies, and everything else you need to know. And our favorite online casinos currently offering this baccarat game.
Your aim for this card game is to get a total of nine before the dealer. The dealer is known as the banker, while you will be the player. What makes it “mini” baccarat is that there’s only space for seven players at the table.
At the start, you will place a bet – on a tie, player, or banker hand – on the table. After that, it’s a matter of following the rules.
Mini Baccarat Rules
Like normal baccarat, numbered cards carry their face value, aces count as one, and face cards are zero. Cards are drawn face-up, which adds to the overall speed of the game.
When added together, you subtract ten for a value over nine, e.g., 7 and 4 equals one. With that in mind, these are the drawing rules you’ll follow:
Banker hand
Banker will always draw when the Player’s third card is
Does not draw when the Player’s third card is?
3
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-9-0
8
4
2-3-4-5-6-7
1-8-9-0
5
4-5-6-7
1-2-3-8-9-0
6
6-7
1-2-3-4-6-8-9-0
7
–
Stands
8 or 9
–
Natural – No Draw
How to Play Mini Baccarat
Essentially, you play mini baccarat just like other versions and draw the cards from the shoe. In virtual baccarat, everything will be automated, while live games depend on a dealer.
Beginning with your bets, you’ll place your chips on the designated areas, including side wagers.
Then, you’ll receive your starting hand face-up and see if the winning hand is a natural eight or nine.
If there’s no natural, you’ll draw a third card or stand on a seven while the dealer draws.
When all cards have been dealt out, you’ll find out which is the winning hand.
After that, you’ll receive a payout and go to the next round if you want to.
Bets, Payouts & Odds
Part of what makes mini baccarat a great version is the side bets, predicting either the points margin or card combinations.
Side Bets
Player or Banker Wins by
Payout
9 points
30:1
8 points
10:1
7 points
6:1
6 points
4:1
5 points
2:1
4 points
1:1
Side Bet Name
RTP
Hand is
Player Pair
89.76%
Any pair of equal cards
Banker Pair
89.76%
Any pair of equal cards
Perfect Pair
86.97%
Identical cards of the same suit
Either Pair
86.29%
Either the banker or player’s hand will be a pair
Big
95.65%
Bet on the total number of cards dealt out being five or six
Small
94.72%
Bet that only four cards are dealt out in the round
Mini Baccarat House Edge
Bet on the Banker – 1.17%
Player Wins – 1.36%
Tie – 14.12% at an 8:1 payoff
Mini Baccarat Strategy
While you can typically use a betting strategy with any baccarat variant, it’s not recommended for mini baccarat. Progression betting systems are especially disregarded because your losses stack up faster in the casino game.
Still, you could take the odds on something other than the banker bet; it’s not against the terms and conditions. Plus, there’s always the other side bets you can test out for a little extra cash.
Playing Mini Baccarat for Real Money
Once you’re comfortable with the rules, payouts, and house edge, you can easily play mini baccarat at virtual or live dealer tables. This is one of the easiest games to learn, plus you can earn more cash at a fast pace.
If you’re tired of the full-sized version, then mini baccarat games might be on the cards for you. This pint-sized game features the same rules as punto banco, but at a faster pace.
